You don\u2019t need a major renovation to make your house feel more up-to-date. With a nod to current design trends, Philadelphia-area interiors experts offer five ways to refresh rooms that will make you fall in love with your home all over again. <\/p>\n
1. Lean into faux greenery<\/p>\n
Five thousand years ago, ancient Egyptians started the practice of growing plants and flowers indoors. Ever since, non-green thumbs have struggled to keep desktop ferns and bookshelf pothos alive \u2014 brown, withered leaves a daily reminder of failure. <\/p>\n
But there\u2019s good news for today\u2019s horticulturally disinclined: You can fake it \u2026 and still make it pretty. <\/p>\n
\u201cGreenery adds life to a space, even if faux, and adds a layer of decorating,\u201d said Rasheeda Gray of Gray Space Interiors<\/a> in Elkins Park. <\/p>\n Thankfully, artificial greenery has come a long way since those dusty plants in the waiting room of your childhood dentist\u2019s office. They\u2019re variegated and look like the real thing \u2014 without the need for water, light, or messy soil. The proof is in a Delaware County home that Gray designed. <\/p>\n After she boldly brightened the new-construction, white-box house for a color-loving client, she turned to faux greenery for the finishing touches. <\/p>\n A eucalyptus holds center court on the coffee table. A fern spills out along the top of a built-in cabinet. Salmon-colored pampas grass brightens another cabinet. <\/p>\n All faux \u2014 but all lovely accents that give you a dose of nature when you\u2019re stuck on back-to-back Zoom calls.<\/p>\n Getting the Look<\/p>\n Have fun with placement. <\/b>Faux greens don\u2019t need sunlight, so there\u2019s a lot of flexibility on where they go. Gray said she typically avoids bunching arrangements together and instead uses them to \u201ctake your eye across the space.\u201d In the Delco home\u2019s kitchen, Gray strategically used a tall vase with salmon pampas grass to bridge between a blue-tile backsplash and bright-green wallpaper and \u201cbroaden the color palette.\u201d<\/p>\n Choose the container first.<\/b> Faux arrangements don\u2019t have to be anchored in soil or drained, so they \u201cgive you more freedom of vessel selection,\u201d Gray noted. \u201cThere are some beautiful vases that are not suitable for real plants.\u201d So buy something that you love or find fun. For example, a fern in the home\u2019s living room flows out of a half head that\u2019s cheekily placed next to a sculpted derriere.<\/p>\n Nurture nature. <\/b>While you\u2019re adding faux greenery, rethink easy-to-change pieces like rugs, throws, and baskets. Gray said natural materials like rattan, linen, and jute add softness and texture to make a room feel cozy. \u201cWhat makes a space feel like home is the layers and being able to tell a story or give the room the feel you want it to have.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Import the Mediterranean<\/p>\n Bypass the nine-hour flight to Naples, Italy, and bask in Mediterranean vibes at home. <\/p>\n According to Main Line-based interior designer Larina Kase<\/a>, \u201cI\u2019m seeing a lot of the warmth and natural beauty of Mediterranean design. Perhaps because it reminds people of a relaxing and inspiring vacation or the warmth of the Mediterranean sun.\u201d <\/p>\n Color and material choices depend on whether you\u2019re after a blue-and-white Santorini look or the warm tones of an Umbria vineyard house. Both, Kase said, are \u201celegant in a rustic, understated way.\u201d <\/p>\n For the entryway of a Spanish colonial in Haverford, she chose terra-cotta tiles: \u201dThe clay has a lot of variation, and people are drawn to that organic feel that doesn\u2019t look manufactured.\u201d <\/p>\n An old bench has an \u201caged-over-time\u201d look, and a jute rug and dried grass arrangements add a \u201csoft, natural\u201d feel. <\/p>\n \u201cI think one of the reasons that the Mediterranean style is really popular is that it combines these classic and also clean and modern elements,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n Even if the bones of your house aren\u2019t Mediterranean, there are still ways to update with this trend in mind.<\/p>\n \u201cYou do want to be careful not to go over the top, so it feels like there\u2019s a disconnect,\u201d Kase said. \u201cCertainly you can have one space to really go in that direction and then just pull a couple of the elements to use in other spaces, such as color scheme or wood.\u201d<\/p>\n Getting the Look<\/p>\n Introduce arches.<\/b> This soft-curve detail appears over windows and doorways from Rome to Marrakesh, and rounding a squared-off entry point isn\u2019t that big of a project, Kase said. \u201cI just changed my pantry door to an arch. I found this old beautiful door. It did need reframing, but it wasn\u2019t a huge deal and took maybe two days.\u201d<\/p>\n Add ceiling beams.<\/b> Don\u2019t have exposed beams? Attach your own. To go modern, choose clean-edged new wood. \u201cIf you\u2019re wanting to go more rustic, then you can literally use old barn beams,\u201d Kase said.<\/p>\n Amplify natural light.<\/b> A well-placed mirror can \u201cmove light in the space,\u201d she says, adding that \u201ccleaning your windows makes a huge difference\u201d too. Or upgrade to high-visibility screens that let the sun stream in. <\/p>\n Lay hand-painted floor tiles.<\/b> \u201cYou\u2019re getting a really intricate, interesting design that feels calming and natural because it was handmade,\u201d Kase said.<\/p>\n Mix woods.<\/b> In the Spanish colonial entryway, Kase used four different woods. \u201cAll the rules have gone out the window that [say] things have to match. Now, as long as it looks good together, that juxtaposition is really interesting and makes things feel more collected and not like your house is just plucked out of a showroom. Combining old oaks with a walnut or even teak or mahogany, it\u2019s all a fair game. There\u2019s no right or wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n Bonus! <\/b>Kase\u2019s paint color picks to evoke Mediterranean vibes (all by Benjamin Moore):<\/p>\n For warm white on walls: Swiss Coffee<\/p>\n<\/li>\n For warm neutral: Ice Formations<\/p>\n<\/li>\n For deep neutral: Mohegan Sage<\/p>\n<\/li>\n For soft blue walls: Santorini Blue<\/p>\n<\/li>\n For bold blue accents: Brilliant Blue<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n 3. Pop color on the ceiling<\/p>\n Goodbye \u201cmillennial gray.\u201d Hello vivid color. <\/p>\n The minimalist design trend featuring shades of gray, and nicknamed after the generation that enthusiastically embraced the look, has been waning for a few years, according to Chestnut Hill-based interior designer Michelle Gage<\/a>. However, a shift toward vibrant hues doesn\u2019t mean you need to go Pollock with the paintbrush.<\/p>\n When the owner of an 1800s Philadelphia home wanted neutral walls, but still wanted the living room to be colorful, Gage said she \u201cbrought in color through the upholstery, and then we did the blush pink pop on the ceiling because it felt like it worked with the timeless nature of the home. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all about balancing it all. So nothing on its own feels too jarring, but together it just feels like it works.\u201d <\/p>\n If the client had wanted something more shocking, they could have gone with hot pink. As Gage noted: \u201cIt may have been a little more fun, but if you want it to be something that lasts, then choosing something more timeless kind of trumps any trend.\u201d<\/p>\n The blush ceiling also draws notice to the historic charm of the original crown molding. <\/p>\n \u201cWe really wanted to highlight that,\u201d Gage said. \u201cSo some of those choices were made based on the bones of the room. Some were made based on personal style for the people who live there.\u201d<\/p>\n Getting the Look<\/p>\n Choose carefully.<\/b> \u201cIt\u2019s not just about picking the paint, it\u2019s picking paint that works with the character of the room,\u201d Gage said. If you want a more lasting look, pick a shade with history, like navy blue. \u201cWe\u2019ve done a full navy-blue room: ceiling, walls, and trims. The color is not polarizing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Finish strong. <\/b>Consider whether you want a matte or glossy look because, Gage said, the paint finish \u201ccan either dial up or dial back the drama.\u201d <\/b>She\u2019s working on a project in Bryn Mawr where the ceiling will get a coat of high-gloss lacquer atop maroon. \u201cThe ceiling literally looks like a mirror,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s so glossy and shiny that you can see your reflection. That\u2019s a much more high-end, labor-intensive approach. It\u2019s meant to be dramatic.\u201d<\/p>\n Change your mind.<\/b> The great thing about paint? You can repaint. With a durable finish, the white walls of her client\u2019s home will hold up well over time, Gage said. \u201cBut you could change that pop ceiling. You could say, \u2018OK, I did pink for five years, now I\u2019m looking to do a blue.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Skip this trend if<\/b> your ceiling is already too busy, Gage advised. \u201cThere are definitely rooms I walk into and think, \u2018I don\u2019t want to paint that ceiling.\u2019 If there\u2019s a lot of recessed cans or sprinkler or speaker equipment, you don\u2019t really want to highlight that.\u201d <\/p>\n 4. Paint color on trim<\/p>\n Craving bold hues but don\u2019t want to tackle your walls or ceiling? Keep them neutral and paint your baseboards instead. <\/p>\n Gage has loved seeing this throwback trend get more attention. Home design styles \u201ccome and go just like fashion,\u201d she said. \u201cI think there are some that come back for a reason because they can feel really approachable and really timeless and worth repeating.\u201d<\/p>\n You\u2019ll find examples of colored trim in many an old home-turned-museum in Philly and the region. \u201cYou may have seen it in a Williamsburg blue in an older home,\u201d Gage said. \u201cWe like to freshen it up a little bit and make it feel current, but have a nod to history.\u201d<\/p>\n Gage took colored trim a step further for a Philadelphia client\u2019s powder room by pairing olive-green baseboards, door casing, and door with a pretty floral wallpaper. All are done with a semigloss finish, which is best for wet spaces like bathrooms. <\/p>\n The traditional tall baseboards are prominent, but Gage said painting modern two-inch ones will work, too.<\/p>\n Getting the Look<\/p>\n Start with the wallpaper.<\/b> \u201cThere are many, many wallpaper options, but definitely less wallpaper out there in the world than paint colors,\u201d Gage said. \u201cYou can always get paint colors mixed to match.\u201d <\/p>\n Matching is optional. <\/b>If you\u2019re painting the trim in a wallpapered room, you don\u2019t necessarily have to pull out a color from the paper. In the powder room, Gage said, <\/b>\u201cwe could have pulled out the yellow flower or pale blue\u201d from the pattern. Instead, olive green (technically dark celery; see below) makes an impression. \u201cWe wanted it to be a little unexpected and a little fresher. Green is definitely the least safe of the three choices, but it still works.\u201d<\/p>\n Carry through.<\/b> When pros like Gage paint \u201ctrim,\u201d they typically mean baseboards, doors and their framing, and crown molding too.<\/p>\n Bonus! <\/b>Gage\u2019s paint color picks to evoke \u201chistoric yet current\u201d (all by Benjamin Moore):<\/p>\n Dark Celery (powder room trim)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Gentleman\u2019s Gray <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Atmospheric <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n 5. Toast a home bar <\/p>\n Entertaining at home has come a long way since Victorian-era parlors. Today, one of the biggest requests that Randi Edelman, founder of Philadelphia-based Remy Creative<\/a>, gets is for bar-and-lounge spaces.<\/p>\n What her clients are not looking for: a Western saloon aesthetic or a man-cave sports bar with neon Yuengling signs.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of my clients are people who are investing in their house for the first time and moved from the city to the suburbs during the last five years,\u201d she said. \u201cThey have young kids. Life has transitioned. They\u2019re not going out to bars downtown.<\/p>\n With wine and spirits collecting becoming more popular, too, the trend is now \u201cfive [friends] coming over and tasting whiskey or bourbon or making cocktails.\u201d<\/p>\n Home bars don\u2019t have to take up a lot of space. Often, Edelman tucks them into a kitchen nook or along a dining or living room wall and designs them in the style of the house. (Bonus: They increase storage capacity!) <\/p>\n However, she also helps clients who want to devote an entire room to entertaining . \u201cThose are designed where it\u2019s a total departure from the rest of the house, and the rooms are a little bit moodier and have a little bit of a different feel,\u201d she said. \u201cSo it speaks to an escape, like you are going out.\u201d<\/p>\n That said, barrooms can and do become multipurpose. \u201cI have one client that the intention was that it was \u2018his\u2019 space,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n In reality? \u201cTheir family plays games in that room at least twice a week.\u201d<\/p>\n Getting the Look<\/p>\n Show and hide. <\/b>While you\u2019ll want to display spirit collections, Edelman points to \u201cvery cost-effective beverage drawers\u201d that don\u2019t look like refrigerators for stowing beer and soda. Tuck the big handle of vodka in a cabinet too. \u201cStep one is building the bar, step two is styling it,\u201d she said. She has even hidden an icemaker behind a cabinet.<\/p>\n Glass half full.<\/b> Red wine? Martinis? Make sure you have the right mix of glassware. Edelman stocks home bars with four of each type of glass that will be used and makes sure there\u2019s a place to display them. Her go-to source for barware is Home Grown<\/a> in Haverford. <\/p>\n Level up.<\/b> Good shelving will enhance the aesthetic and provide more storage space. Edelman works with Philadelphia fabricator Amuneal<\/a> on brass-and-glass shelves that can be custom built and installed atop a bar or mounted to the ceiling.<\/p>\n Please be seated. <\/b>When it comes to choosing furniture for discrete barrooms, \u201cmost of these spaces have conversational seating,\u201d Edelman said. \u201cAt a minimum, you generally want seating for four. A banquette is a good way to get the amount of seating that you want in the space without taking up too much room on the floor.\u201d Avoid recliners and loungers. \u201cYou\u2019re going to be falling asleep, laying back. That\u2019s not the vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n Hold the water.<\/b> According to Edelman, unless your home bar is very far from your kitchen, you probably don\u2019t need a sink. That leaves more countertop space and avoids the hassle of running a waterline. Dry bars don\u2019t need a backsplash, Edelman says, so you can go with a \u201cfun wallpaper as a backdrop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
\n